Let God’s Smile Bring Back Yours

Even though I’ve been a Christian for over twenty years, I’m just now learning about grace. When I was twelve, I was ‘saved by grace’ – but I’m just now learning what it means to live by grace. I’m so thankful for this all-too-often misunderstood and abused ‘secret’ of living the abundant life! Grace is amazing. Grace takes the pressure off. It turns down the heat. It loosens the grip of darkness. It lowers the bar that’s too high. It warms your soul like a cup of Starbucks. It peels back the labels we put on ourselves and everyone else. It allows you to feel – and not to be afraid of getting hurt. And that’s just the beginning!

You might be wondering how grace can do all that and more. I want to warn you, the answer’s simple. Too simple. It’s because grace is simply what God enjoys doing – it’s who God is! There is nothing you can do to make Him love you more and there is nothing you can do to make Him love you less! Grace is God’s smile that touches us and makes us smile, too. The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: (Numbers 6:25)

Grace is more powerful than all of our failures. It overcomes any sin, any fault – past, present, and even future! There’s always more than enough. We don’t have to live in shame, looking in the rearview mirror any more. Grace trumps all of our efforts to try to impress God. He lets us off the hook at trying to earn our way into His ‘good graces.’ Think about that… if grace is undeserved, why do we think we can somehow deserve it?

His love is unconditional, His grace is sufficient. It has no problem forgiving the sins of an addict, a terrorist, or a prostitute. Nor is it powerless in conquering a Christian’s self-righteous attitude, the tongue of a gossip, or a deacon’s judgmental stare!

It has given me a new motive to serve my Savior – I no longer just ‘go through the motions.’ It’s taken away the pressure to have to be somebody I’m not. I can relax and know that God really does love me even though He knows me. It has brought be out of sin’s slavery and made me free. I now am free from the bondage that once imprisoned me. His grace is amazing – it makes me smile!